Over 10 days after demanding that Tata Sons withdraw its November 11 special notice to remove him as an independent director of Tata Steel, Nusli Wadia sent a rejoinder seeking "an unconditional public apology" while reiterating that he would initiate defamation proceedings unless the allegations against him are withdrawn.
In a seven-page rejoinder to Bharat Vasani, legal head of Group, Wadia said, "your reluctance to...submit proof in support of allegations in the special notice and your insistence not to withdraw the notice or allegations in it will result in only one conclusion that it is a clear case of defamation." The rejoinder was to Vasani's November 24 email response that said Tata Sons was authorised by all its directors to respond to Wadia's letters. "Directors of Tata Sons... are called upon even now to prove their bonafides by withdrawing the notice or allegations in it against me and to publicly and unconditionally apologise to me forthwith."
Wadia, an independent director with three group companies- Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, and Tata Motors, in his November 11 letter had asked Tata Sons to prove its "false and defamatory" allegations. They claimed he was acting with Cyrus Mistry against the Tata Group. In their reply, the board said, "there is no legal requirement for us the shareholder, to even provide any information or reasons while seeking removal under section 169 of the Act." Wadia, in his rejoinder said, "having admitted that you are not required to even provide reasons... deliberately gave the special notice with false allegations against me. It is thus obvious that the only purpose...was...to defame me."
On November 10, Wadia, along with other independent directors, had supported Mistry's chairmanship at Tata Chemicals. He believes the act of "support" prompted Tata Sons to turn "vindictive" and seek his removal from the board of Tata Steel. He also stated his respect for JRD Tata and his "high standard of ethics and corporate governance" and expressed surprise "that one of the first acts of Ratan Tata as interim Chairman of the Board of Tata Sons was to move a resolution seeking my removal."
